The 46th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, which was January 22, comes at a particularly critical time for reproductive rights in Virginia.
With Virginia’s 2019 Legislative Session in full swing, we have the opportunity to secure the future for reproductive rights in the Commonwealth. Virginia has a painful and embarrassing history of passing laws that harm women’s healthcare, including laws that fail to reflect modern medical research and have created huge disparities in access to abortion. Between the current makeup of the Supreme Court and the Trump-Pence administration, the threat to our reproductive rights is acute.
Planned Parenthood is fighting for the Reproductive Freedom Act (HB 2369) this year to protect abortion access in Virginia should the worst happen in Washington. We’re proud that Governor Ralph Northam voiced his support for this legislation during his State of the Commonwealth address. This bill would ensure Virginians can continue to make their own healthcare decisions, no matter what happens in Washington. Fortunately, in Loudoun County, we have a bold leader in Senator Jennifer Boysko, who has championed reproductive rights throughout her career.
At the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, we all must do our part to ensure that the Reproductive Freedom Act and other bills that protect and expand the right to control our own reproductive futures are made a priority in Virginia. We can’t afford to wait any longer.